Gorilla arrives for surgery at Pretoria clinic
It was an exciting weekend in Pretoria after the Onderstepoort animal hospital got a visit from a special patient, Makokou the Gorilla. He was flown all the way from Johannesburg to undergo a medical examination.
Makokou, a 35-year old western lowland gorilla from the Johannesburg zoo, suffers from a chronic nasal discharge. He was not responding to treatment so he was flown per helicopter to Onderstepoort to undergo tests.
Local Zuid-Afrikaans hospital (ZAH) staff were asked to help with the procedure. They described it as a “once in a lifetime” experience.
Dr. Kobus Venter, an ear, nose and throat surgeon, with two theatre nurses, Sr. Marietjie Scheepers and Leonette Visagie assisted Prof. Gerhard Steenkamp, a veterinary dentist and maxillofacial surgeon from the Onderstepoort veterinary clinic, with the CT scan for the gorilla.
“His skin feels like leather and he had a massive chest, boney head and large hands. Assisting was a wow! an experience filled with adrenaline,” Visagie said.
Visagie said Dr Venter and his team were approached to assist with Makokou’s endoscopy procedure and other medical examinations.
“This is the first time working with an animal as a patient. It was so amazing to experience.”
She describes Makokou as a huge animal with a large head and body that weighs in at 210 kilograms. “We knew he was large but didn’t know what to expect.”
Her colleague, also a nurse was equally excited about the experience.
“It was an overwhelming experience and such a privilege to help. You do not actually realise how big he is until he lies on the table,” Scheepers said.
Visagie said as soon as the outcome of the procedure is ready, the team will assist the Johannesburg zoo in planning for the removal of the polyps in the nasal cavities at the zoo hospital in three weeks time.
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